David A.E. Spalding was born in Sheffield, England on June 23, 1937 and he arrived in Canada in 1967. A whale expert, he first came to British Columbia from Alberta in 1990. He grew up in England where his first cetacean experience was in the form of whale steak. He went to work in a museum at a historic whaling port and then held senior positions at the Provincial Museum of Alberta for 15 years. He has a degree in natural sciences and has been an adviser for the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. In Alberta he also formed a folk duo called Brandywine with his wife and frequent co-writer Andrea Spalding. They came to live on Pender Island in 1990, where they have operated Arbutus Retreat Bed and Breakfast. Spalding is author, co-author or editor of numerous non-fiction books, as well as many articles and scripts for radio and television.

AWARDS: Ministry of Education Award (Japan) and Best of the West (California) for radio program.

BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS: Raised in industrial Sheffield. Bachelor's degree in natural sciences University of Sheffield. 1959-1967 Museum career in UK (Scunthorpe, Hull, Sheffield) then 1967 to 1981 in Alberta (Provincial Museum of Alberta, interpretive planner for Royal Tyrrell). 1981 to 1990 heritage consultant, performer, writer, host in radio and television. 1990-present, consultant, writer, Pender Island, BC.

Review of the author's work by BC Studies:
Whales of the West Coast

BOOKS:

Seasonings: Flavours of the Southern Gulf Islands (Harbour, 2012) With Andrea Spalding. $29.95 978-1-55017-569-1

Enchanted Isles: The Southern Gulf Islands (Harbour Publishing 2007). Photography by Kevin Oke. 144 pages, 150+ colour photos and maps. (ISBN 10:1-55017-422-3/ 13:978-1-55017-422-9)

Southern Gulf Islands Altitude Superguide, Altitude Publishing Canada.
(David & Andrea Spalding, Georgina Montgomery and Lawrence Pitt). 2000
(second edition), 160pp. Softcover, $19.95. (ISBN 1-55153-622-6)

Into the Dinosaurs' Graveyard: Canadian Digs and Discoveries. 1999.
Doubleday Canada. hardcover. 305pp. $34.95 (ISBN 0-385-25762-7) Paper (ISBN
0-385-25794-5) $19.95 (non-fiction)

Whales of the West Coast. Harbour Publishing softcover. 1999. 211 pp.
$18.95. (ISBN 1-55017-199-2)

BC Ferries and the Canadian West Coast (Altitude, 1996), with Andrea Spalding, Georgina Montgomery and Lawrence Pitt. 80pp. Softcover, $9.95. (ISBN 1-55153-605-4)

The Flavours of Victoria (Orca, 1994), with Andrea Spalding, photos by Kevin Oke. 1-55143-014-2

Dinosaur Hunters (Key Porter, 1993) $29.95. 1-55013-300-4

Charles H. Sternberg: Hunting Dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer River (NeWest Press, 1985). 0-92031-698-0

A Nature Guide to Alberta (Hurtig, 1980). 0-88830790

ADVENTURE NET SERIES: (juvenile novels co-written by Andrea and David Spalding)
This series features Canadian settings and internet research.

Adventure Net #4 The Klondike Ring. Vancouver, B.C.: Whitecap Books. (juv fiction, with Andrea Spalding, 2003) (ISBN 1-55285-461-2)

Adventure Net #3. The Disappearing Dinosaur. Whitecap Books. 128pp. 2002. Softcover, $8.95. (ISBN 1-55285-311-X)

Adventure Net #2 The Silver Boulder. Whitecap Books. 143pp. 2000. Softcover, $8.95. (ISBN 1-55285-105-2)

Adventure Net #1 The Lost Sketch. Whitecap Books. 101pp. 1999. Softcover, $8.95. (ISBN 1-55110-989-1) (juv. novel with non-fiction content; Teacher's Guide available) - BC 2000 Millennium Book Award - Short-listed for Silver Birch award. - Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice

[BCBW 2012] "Whales"